Top 12 Live Sheep And Goat Exporting Countries

Sudan and Somalia are by far the largest producers of sheep and goats for overseas shipment.

In Jordan, as in much of the Middle East and East Africa, goat and sheep herds are maintained on even the most arid deserts.

Live export includes commercial export of sheep and goats or other farm cattle across national boundaries. Many countries export live sheep and goat to foreign countries, but the relative production and consumption is significantly higher in the Middle Eastern countries. This sector is on the rise in other parts of the world, especially in the African countries, as most of the sheep and goat for slaughter are exported from Africa.

Countries Heavily Involved In Exporting Live Sheep and Goats

The export of live sheep and goat in the Middle East market has increased from the African countries as Sudan tops the chart with an export value of Live Sheep and Goat in 2015 to be $561,337,000. Somalia takes the second spot with an export value of $370,569,000 in 2015. Jordan stands in the third rank with an export value of $200,417,000.

Sudan

In Sudan, the livestock export forms the basis for the foreign exchange earnings in the country after the production of oil. The country exports Live Sheep and Goat to Middle East countries but the export to Saudi Arabia is on the rise during the year. However, the value of livestock surmounts during the festival of Hajj. The Live Sheep and Goat are reared in Khartoum and North Kordofan cities of Sudan that nearly contributes 14% to the population. The farmers over here have a limited access to the veterinary care for the animals and the price of feed for animals is higher in the country. The live sheep and goat marketing procedure is a long process where the livestock is brought from one seller to another until it reaches the border laden in trucks and are overloaded. When the livestock reaches their destination, they are butchered under unethical conditions for the production of meat.

Somalia

In 2014, Somalia exported nearly 4.6 million of sheep and goat to the Gulf countries and especially to Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Qatar in large numbers. These animals are brought up by providing good fodder and giving proper vaccination to them. Even the local meat market is thriving in the area but the animals are bundled up in trucks to the slaughterhouses where they are used for meat in their destinations.

Jordan

Jordan exported more than 6 million of live sheep and goat to the Middle East countries. The animals are provided stubble grazing in the fields and after growing up, they are sold in the market where they are taken to border countries. They are suffocated in the trucks and after that, they land in slaughterhouses for the production of meat.

A Thriving Sector, Yet One With Animal Rights Concerns

It can be inferred from the above data that the live sheep and goat market is thriving and the local farmers rear more animals on the farms and export them to foreign countries. Mostly, these animals are exported to the Middle East countries through rugged channels and not handled in a proper way. Many organizations have raised their voices against this inhuman practice and government of the respective countries has to take immediate actions.